A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans
As compelling and as testy as the last fortnight has been, even drawing in some casual fans who normally do not follow the sport, it all comes to an end at some point tonight.
Bruins v. Canucks – Game 7.
For one franchise, four decades of frustration is going to result in long overdue jubilation, while another is about to experience the ultimate gut-punch.
Cristobal Huet, not to be outdone by teammate Antti Niemi, shut out the St. Louis Blues 3-0. That’s the second shutout for Huet this year, but that’s not the important issue here.
What’s more important is I am seeing some really strong potential for a Stanley Cup championship this year now that it seems like the Hawks no longer have a goaltender problem.
The Chicago Blackhawks have re-signed 23-year old forward Kris Versteeg to a 3-year, $9.25 million deal. Recently rated 21st best franchise in sports today by ESPN, the Hawks have kept their young team mostly intact. The Hawks have drafted great young talent the last couple of years, and it has made hockey nation look at Chicago as a serious contender for the Stanley Cup.
After losing the Western Conference Finals to Detroit, Hawk fans are really excited for what next year could bring. Many more NHL teams and owners are taking this young Hawks team seriously now. While the Hawks have lost their season MVP, Martin Havlat, they did add a powerful scoring forward in Marian Hossa. The Hawks lost a great goaltender in Khabibulan, and leaving the team to Huet is a bit risky. Huet has shown he can be a great goaltender, but his inconsistent play has had Hawk fans questioning how good a deal it was to pick him up and at such a steep price.
The Hawks have really big expectations to fulfill this coming season, and nobody really can say for sure if this team is capable of going all the way next year. As young as the team is though, Chicago fans are at least positive that the Hawks could win a championship in the near future. While the future is bright, the players don’t need to feel like they have no room to improve. Their inexperience was exploited by the veteran Detroit team last year in the playoffs and Detroit seems to always have the Hawks’ number. Most of all, Detroit capitalized on every mistake the Hawks made, and the Hawks will have to limit their mistakes against the Red Wings moving forward.
One thing that made me mad was the hatred for the Hawks by Sports Illustrated. They never gave credit to the Hawks, even when they made it deep into the postseason. They said they would lose against the Flames and the Canucks. When the Hawks did win those two series, SI didn’t praise the wins, they just ignored them completely. Just recently Alan Muir has called the Hossa signing a bad one. Come on! They never give the Hawks credit for building a team that can win. Sorry for going on a mini rant, but that has always bothered me a lot.
With prospect camps currently ongoing, the Hawks could find another gem. Next hockey season will be a fun and interesting ride for the Hawks and their fans. As a fan, I can only wish for another playoff berth, and who knows, maybe even a Cup.
